Does Race Matter?

I have been hearing rumors that race can either help or hinder a student. So if a white guy and black guy apply with the same scores, GPA’s and compelling essays, the black guy has a higher chance of getting in…is this true? I am just curious. I know there has been some controversy with Michigan’s Law school about that and was wondering if this also applied to medical schools.
Does this apply to private/public?

or does it just depends on the individual school?